The 9,500-year-old skull found in Aşıklı Höyük is an essential find for both the medical world and the world of archaeology. The skull, reanimated in 3D, will be exhibited in the museum after the project is completed.
Prof. Dr. Mihriban Özbaşaran, lecturer at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters, Department of Prehistoric Archeology and head of the excavations at Aşıklı Höyük, provided information about the skull find and “reanimation” work.
During the excavations of Aşıklı Höyük, the skull of a 25-year-old woman was found, and she went under a surgical procedure, which can be called “an operation” was performed on the skull.
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Özbaşaran explained that the woman to whom the skull belonged was buried with her baby and said:
“During the investigation at Hacettepe University, it was found that the skull was purposely drilled and the procedure was performed with utmost care. It turned out that this was an operation done with obsidian drills. After the hole was drilled, the cells in the skull regenerated. So it seems that the woman lived after the procedure for some time. Aşıklı Höyük is of great importance to medical history. A new study of the skull is in the works. We will animate it in 3D. We are looking forward to the results of the project and bringing this woman back to life. We will meet a woman from Aşıklı. We are thrilled about it.”